At 21:00 CET on Sunday, the eyes of the sporting world will turn to one man as we await kick-off in the UEFA Euro 2024 final. That man is François Letexier, who at the age of 35 is set to become the youngest-ever referee of a European Championship final, a privilege the Frenchman is relishing. "Of course, it's a big honour and a big satisfaction to have been appointed for this match," he said. "It was a surprise, because I have just tried to stay focused day by day throughout the whole tournament and wasn't expecting something so big."
Euro 2024 is Letexier's first taste of a major tournament, and so far he has refereed group-stage draws between Croatia and Albania and Denmark and Serbia, as well as Spain's 4-1 win over Georgia in the round of 16. He was also fourth official for the opening match as hosts Germany defeated Scotland in Munich. "In a tournament there are so many aspects that are different from a normal match or competition, so being fourth official for the opening match was good for me," he explained. "The pressure was reduced a little bit but I could learn, see how everything works and it helped me to control the pressure and emotions." There were, however, plenty of emotions when he received the news from UEFA managing director of refereeing, Roberto Rosetti, that he had been selected for the final. "It was a quick conversation, Roberto went directly to the target," said Letexier, a married father of a three-year-old son. "He asked if I was expecting something. I said 'no' and then he told me that I will be the referee of the final, and that’s all. I was both happy and surprised – it was an emotional moment also because it's something so rare. I was in a hurry to share the news with my assistants, Cyril Mugnier and Mehdi Rahmouni. That was my first feeling because it's reward for the team. We worked together for eight years so we have a long story, and I wanted to share the moment with them." There is not much time to reflect, though. Since receiving the call, Letexier has been busy readying himself for the big match. "It's a huge event, it's so emotional for the players and for the spectators, so we must expect the unexpected," he said. "In terms of physical preparation, we have been preparing for a month with the UEFA fitness staff and know we are in good condition. Then there is also the tactical aspect. We will look at the tactics of the teams and the consequences for refereeing, such as how we should adapt our positioning. People might not know, but we prepare and anticipate a lot of different scenarios so we can be ready to manage the game."
Despite his relative youth, Letexier is not short of experience, having taken up refereeing at 14. Indeed, he has been in the game for 21 years already, balancing on-field duties with a career outside the game as a court bailiff. He took charge of his first French top-flight fixture in 2016 and joined the international list of referees in 2017, getting his first UEFA match assignment with an Under-19 Euro qualifier between Sweden and Belgium. In the seven years since, he has gained regular experience in European football's top competitions, refereeing the 2023 UEFA Super Cup between Manchester City and Sevilla, and acting as fourth official at the UEFA Champions League final last month. Reflecting on the journey, he happily admits he could not have got where he is without plenty of support. "It is not enough to thank one person, there are a lot of people who helped me as a young referee," he said. "I am from Brittany and we are proud of our region, so I am thinking of all the volunteers that helped me and other young referees to enjoy the role and being on the pitch. Another important person for me as a mentor is Bertrand Layec, a former official who was head of refereeing in France. He trusted me before I even trusted myself, giving me not only good advice but self-confidence." Now Letexier is the role model – and his advice for potential referees is simple. "All I would say is just try it. Take a whistle and try," he said. "It might seem impossible to do, but it was the same for me when I was young. I never expected anything as big as Sunday, but just by taking the whistle you never know. I promise you it can change your life." There will doubtless be plenty of future referees tuning in around the globe on Sunday, and among them one or two who might follow in Letexier's footsteps and one day referee a Euro final. They could learn a lot from watching him.
Source: UEFA